1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pattern generating method, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a computer program product, and a pattern-shape-determination-parameter generating method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the advance of semiconductor manufacturing technologies is extremely remarkable. Semiconductors (semiconductor integrated circuits) are mass-produced using patterns having a minimum processing dimension of 50 nanometers. To realize microminiaturization of such patterns, it is necessary to set appropriate conditions for a pattern dimension and a pattern shape of a photomask used in performing pattern transfer, an exposure amount and a focus amount in a lithography process, and the like.
In the lithography technology in the past, fluctuation in an exposure amount and focus is a main cause of fluctuation in a pattern dimension. Therefore, it is necessary to set a lithography condition, an optical proximity correction (OPC) condition, design layout and design limitation conditions, and the like such that the pattern dimension is kept within allowable dimensional fluctuation even if the pattern dimension is affected by the fluctuation in the exposure amount and the focus. A section in which dimensional fluctuation is large in a pattern to be formed is called dangerous pattern (hot spot). In the section, it is highly likely that electrical open-circuit and short-circuit are caused, leading to deterioration in yield (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-98588).
However, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-98588, a processing failure of patterns due to a pattern shape (an embedding failure, collapse of patterns, etc.) cannot be accurately verified (determined). Further, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-98588, because various data are necessary to verify a processing failure of patterns due to a pattern shape; the processing failure cannot be easily verified.